A nine-year-old boy who ran away from home managed to sneak onto a plane and travel over 1,675 miles after looking up how to do it online.
Emanuel Marques de Oliveira left his parents sick with worry over the incident, but thankfully he’s been found and is said to be safe and well.
He was first reported as missing by his parents in the city of Manaus, Brazil, on the morning of Saturday 26 February after his mum Daniele Marques noticed her son was not home.
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She said: "I woke up at 5.30 am, went to his room, and saw that he was sleeping normally.
"Then I fiddled with my mobile phone a little and got up again, at 7.30 am, and that is when I realised that he was no longer in his bedroom and I started to panic."
Understandably distraught, Daniele spent the entire day wondering where her child was before finally getting an update from authorities.
Little did she realise her son was on the other side of the country.
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While most kids who run away only make it down the road, Emanuel had somehow boarded a plane and ended up 2,700 kilometres (1,677 miles) away.
He was found to be in Guarulhos, a city located in the coastal state of Sao Paulo. Emanuel’s home city is in the capital of the state of Amazonas, in north-western Brazil, meaning he managed to make it all the way to the other side of the country.
It’s currently unknown how the young boy made his way onto a LATAM Airlines flight unnoticed, especially since he didn't have a ticket or any travel documents and luggage.
Manaus airport management are reportedly now investigating the incident to try and get to the bottom of how it happened.
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Local police have also requested security camera images from the airport and have launched their own investigation.
Officers said Emanuel acted completely alone after apparently searching ‘how to get on a plane unnoticed’ on the internet.
They added that there was no history of violence within the family, and the boy had simply wanted to travel to Sao Paulo to visit some of his other family members.
LATAM Airlines said in a statement: "A minor was identified on flight LA3168 (Manaus-São Paulo/Guarulhos), on Saturday afternoon (26/2), which disembarked at 9.09pm.
"In Guarulhos, the company called the Federal Police and the Guardianship Council, which sent him to a shelter to await the necessary procedures for his return to Manaus.
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"The minor re-embarked on flight LA3008 (São Paulo/Guarulhos-Manaus) this Sunday (27/2), which disembarked at 11.45 am, being welcomed by local authorities.
"LATAM Airlines Brasil is investigating what happened."
Topics: World News
Daisy Phillipson